Child's Play
by mermaid2bseeker
Summary: Chapter 6 added finally! It's about what happens when Rodney accidentally activates some Ancient technology. Don't worry the story's not as stupid as it sounds mostly because I suck at summaries. Please read.
1. Default Chapter

Child's Play  
by mermaid2bseeker

Chapter 1:

Dr. Elizabeth Weir sat at the head of a conference table, she looked around at the four people sitting around her. All but one of them were children, in their early teens. The first child was a boy, fair skinned with black hair that was long enough to be tucked behind his ears, his face was slightly pointed and fair shaded, his kind eyes stared at the tabletop in annoyance. Next to him sat Lt. Aiden Ford, an african male with a soft face and the attitude of a sweet prankster, he was looking at the person across from him with curiosity. That person was another boy, who had tied his long brown hair up in a pony tail, he looked like the type of kid who was too smart for his own good, his square face had a scowl to it, and he stared with tired annoyance at Lt. Ford. Sitting on his left was an African-looking female with a gentle face, surrounded by brown hair, and strong eyes, she looked as though she were trying to think of a solution to some great equation.

Elizabeth placed her fingers against her temples and rubbed them. "Rodney," the brown-haired boy looked up at her, "tell me again how you all got turned into children."

"Well,…" Rodney began.

_Flashback:  
__Ten hours ago:_

Under the blazing binary suns of T4X584; a densely forrested planet with no 'space-age' type inhabitants, mostly just simple villages near water sources, a team of four people dressed in military camoflage stepped through a shimmering-blue veil that was being created by a metallic-silver ring standing perpendicular to the grassy ground. Maj. John Sheppard led the team, he was followed by Dr. Rodney McKay and Teyla Emmagan, with Lt. Aiden Ford covering the rear.

They were on one of their usual recon missions. Their aim was to hopefully find a fully-charged ZPM energy source, otherwise known as a Zero Point Modual. Of course, finding food and supplies was always on their agenda as well.

A few miles from the gate they stopped in front of a building. It was a towering temple, built of a translucent material stronger than steel, and thinner than a sheet of paper.

"That looks Ancient-like," John stated the obvious.

"And where there's an Ancient's building, there's sure to be an Ancient's power source." Rodney added.

The first thing they saw when they stepped inside was a large circle etched into the wall opposite them. They stood in a rectangular room with three corridors leading in different directions.

"Someone should stay here, as a lookout," John stated.

"I'll do it, sir," Aiden said.

"Right." The rest of them spilt up, each person going into a separate corridor.

The corridor was long and winding, and kind of spooky. Rodney had no idea where he was headed, but as long as there were no maze-like turns, he would be able to find his way out.

Within a few minutes he came upon a closed door. When he got closer to look for an opening switch, the door opened automatically. "Spooky, much?" The door revealed a large laboratory, which, against his better judgement, he walked into.

When the door closed behind him, he whipped around frightened to see who or what had done it. After shaking off the goosebumps he was beginning to feel, he turned back, and started to explore the lab.

Along two of the walls were shelves housing various odd-looking instruments. What looked like a long med-bed was pushed against the back wall, hanging above it was something that looked like a full-body x-ray machine. He walked towards one of the shelves and looked at the instruments closely. A strange whirrring sound caught his attention and he turned to look in its direction.

The sound was coming from the floor. There, a large round circle etched into the floor began to glow. Before he could reach the door a strange white light had engulfed him. Raising his hand to shield his eyes from the glow, he noticed that his hand was contorting; twisting and bending where it shouldn't. When he looked down, he realized that his entire body was doing this. Oddly, the first thought that popped into his head was _Is this what people on drugs see_? It was as his head began to contort that Rodney fell to the ground, unconscous.

When he opened his eyes, Rodney discovered he was laying on his side, on the floor. It took him a second to remember where exactly he was. As he stood up, he noticed everything around him had gotten much larger in comparison to him. Even his backpack seemed to weigh a lot more. Looking around for an answer, he headed to the door. This place scared the beegeesus out of him, and he wanted to get as far away from it as he could, and as soon as he could.

Walking down the corridor, it seemed to take him much longer to get to the entrance hall as it had been getting to the lab, even though he was setting a brisk pace. When he emerged into the entrance hall, Aiden raised his sidearm at him.

"What?" Rodney put his hands up defensively.

"Who are you?" Aiden asked, rifle still raised.

"Very funny, joke's on Rodney," As he spoke his voice sounded higher, _probably just nerves_. "Now put that thing away before someone gets hurt."

"Answer the question."

Now Rodney was really freaked out. "It's me, McKay. You know, the Canadian who never stops eating."

Aiden looked at him oddly.

From the other two corridors, a male and a female teenager emerged. The male had long black hair and was a bit tall for his age. The female had dark skin, and long brown hair. Both she and the boy were wearing military uniforms, with all the necessary gear.

"Holy shit," the boy looked at Rodney. "You too?" He looked to the girl. "And you?"

"Major?" Aiden asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

* * *

A/N: 

Well, the first time I posted this chapter it was just to get it out there, now that I've edited it I'm re-posting it. Tell me how you liked it so far in your reviews, please. More chapters to come.


	2. Chapter 2

Child's Play  
by mermaid2bseeker

Chapter 2:

"So, you had no warning that this was going to happen?" Elizabeth asked when Rodney had finished re-telling what had happened during the mission.

"No."

Rodney looked at Aiden, who had been staring at him during the entire retelling. "What?" he asked impatiently.

Slightly embarrassed Aiden replied, "The hair."

John stifled a laugh.

Rodney rolled his eyes. "If you must know, I was, a bit of a wild child during my high-school days."

"Oh." Again John stifled his laughter.

Rodney turned to him, "What is so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just, I never would have pegged you a 'wild child', McKay."

Rodney gave John his worst scowl. "Don't worry. I plan to cut it off."

"Don't. It looks good that way." John mocked.

Again Rodney scowled at him.

"I'm sure the transformations are all interesting," Elizabeth said. "But we need to focus on how to undo it. Did any of you see anything that could have done this?"

"I didn't," John shook his head. "The room I was in was some sort of habitat, all it has was a bed thing."

"The room I had was also a habitat," Teyla spoke.

"I had a laboratory," Rodney said slightly confused.

"A lab?" Elizabeth turned to him.

"Yeah. And there were some odd-looking instruments on shelves-" John looked to Rodney alarmed. "—I didn't touch any of them, Major. I think there was also a med-bed of sorts."

"Was there anything that looked as if it could have caused this to happen?"

"I don't think so." As if he were suddenly remembering something, he added, "Although there was this big circle thing in the floor, and it flooded the room with a bright light."

"That happened in my room, too," John said.

"Mine as well," Teyla agreed.

"Did your body contort, too?" Rodney asked them.

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"That's just too much of a coincedence," Elizabeth stated.

"I thought you didn't believe in coincedences," Rodney said.

"Exactly."

* * *

A/N:  
I know this chapter was kinda short and pointlesss. But don't worry, I will make them better as I write them. I have the entire story planned out in my head. So, keep reading and I'll keep posting. Please review. 


	3. Chapter 3

Child's Play  
by mermaid2bseeker

* * *

Chapter 3: 

_Flashback: T4X-584 Monday, 09:00 A.S.T. (Atlantis Standard Time)_

"Keyto!" Marla Illyria called out to the trees. "Come along, now, it's nearly time for the evening meal."

"Coming, mother!" Keyto called down from the top of a very tall tree. With reckless-precision, she descended to the ground.

"Those trees are going to be the death of you." Marla said once her 15 year-old daughter had both feet on the ground.

"As I recall, mother, it was you who first taught me to climb trees." They walked toward the main village.

"I wouldn't have if I had known you'd be going so high up."

"That's the best place to see the sun set over the Great Water, and feel the evening breeze."

"The sunset is just as beautiful with both feet on the ground, Scinta."

Keyto blushed, Scinta was the name her mother used to call her as an infant. "I know. I just, feel, I don't know. Sometimes when I'm sitting up there, I feel at total peace with everything. It's so calming."

Marla sighed in exasperation. She too had loved being atop the trees. She had gotten so good at it that she could go up and down a tree with her eyes closed. There had been a giant tree behind her home that was tallest in the entire village and best for seeing all the way to the horizon. However, they were no longer in her home village. That place had been destroyed during a Wraith culling. She had been very little at the time, and many of her people had been killed. Those many years ago the former leader of the village, horrorstruck by the devestation, struck a deal with the Wraith.

Some of the older villagers still believed that the deal had been the only way to ensure that future generations of their people would survive. But now Marla was their leader, and things were going to change. The Wraith could never be trusted, it was only a matter of time.

Seeing her Keyto skipping, childishly, along the path brought Marla back to reality. She had already lost so much, including her life-partner, she didn't know what she'd do if she were to loose Keyto as well. Marla stopped walking and told her daughter to wait. "It doesn't matter. I don't want you to climb those trees again. It's too dangerous."

Keyto looked as if she wanted to say something in argument. "Yes, mother." She skipped over to the nearby river bank, her long black hair boucning in time to her hops. There, she bent down and picked two of the prettiest flowers from the patch that grew next to the water. As she rose she saw four beings walking to a large glass building a great distance away. Slowly and quietly, not wanting to draw their attention, she ran to her mother.

"What is it?" Marla asked concernedly.

"There are people walking towards the Great Temple," Keyto whispered.

"What?" Marla wasn't sure she'd heard her daughter correctly.

"I saw them. There were four of them, with strange things in their hands and on their backs.

"Show me." There was a tone of urgency in Marla's voice.

Keyto led her to where she had spotted the strangers. Marla indicated that they should crouch down, to not be so conspicuous.

"What are they doing?" Keyto whispered.

"I do not know," Marla answered. "They don't look like Wraith, nor their victims."

"We should warn them not to go in there." Keyto had only risen slightly before her mother pulled her back down.

"No." The strangers entered the temple. "It's too late." Marla shook her head, regretfully. "There's nothing we can do for them now."

_Present: Atlantis Base, Tuesday, 10:00 A.S.T._

"Ah. I see what Elizabeth was talking about," Dr. Carson Beckett said in a strong Scottish accent as John, Rodney and Teyla walked into the infirmary. He patted the cushion of a med-bed.

All three of them had stood equal to each other when they first entered the room, but when Carson said, "Who's first?" both John and Teyla had taken a step back so that they were behind Rodney.

"Ah, Rodney," Carson looked to him. "Come on, up you get."

Rodney looked behind him in unpleasant surprise. John gave him a smug smile and almost pushed him towards the good doctor. He scowled as he sat on the med-bed, he had not wanted to go first.

Carson pulled a metal tray toward him. On the tray were three hypodermic needles and three empty cartridges for the storage of blood samples. Rodney stared at needles with unease.

"Ow," he complained as one of the needles was pushed into his arm.

"Aw, do want a lollipop, wee-Rodney?" Carson said with a hint of mockery.

"Oh, that's very funny." He squirmed as the doctor inserted a cartridge into end of the needle.

"Grow up," John said to Rodney as he waited his turn.

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"Oh, come on."

"All done." Carson withdrew the needle.

"Already?" Rodney asked dubiously.

"Yeah."

Rodney popped off the med-bed. "Your turn," he said as he walked past John. "Shep-boy."

John turned to look at Rodeny's retreating form. "Shep-boy?" Confused, he walked up and sat on the med-bed.

A huge ship, about the same size as a small mountain, glided through space at an incredible speed. The ship had recently been on a densely forested planet; pieces of mummified trees clung to the surface of the outer hull. The ship's engines made barely noticeable streaks as they sped toward an unknown destination.

Inside the ship, corridors led every which way, like a vast maze. Some of those corridors led to others, some led to doors, and some led to strange rooms with spider web-looking shields at the entrances.

These strange rooms seemed to be storage chambers of some sort. In a few of them human shaped objects, wrapped in a sort of cloth were piled haphazardly. Most of them, however, seemed to be used as cages. These cages held bizarre-looking animals actively trying to force their way out, but receiving an electrical shock every time their skin came into contact with the "webbing."

Near the middle of the ship was a large open chamber. In the center of this chamber a long table had been placed. High-backed chairs surrounded the table, which looked as if at any moment it would be used by a large family to eat an evening meal.

On the top-most level of this ship was what looked like a command center. In the front of the 'comand center' was a 'window' of sorts. Though the ship was travelling at incredible speeds, as evidenced by the streaks of stars rushing by, the 'window' showed no signs of cracking.

Several areas of the 'command center' were occupied by strange beings. Averaging two meters tall, these beings were unlike anything ever seen in this galaxy. What little of their skin showed was an eerie bluish color. Their faces were horrifyingly brutal, along with their monsterous teeth, they looked as though they could eat those penned-up animals live.a/n: does that make any sense whatsoever?

Whatever their destination was, the crew of the ship showed no signs of being in a hurry to get there.

_Tuesday, 17:00 A.S.T._

Elizabeth walked through the halls of Atlantis, she was headed towards the infirmary for the blood analysis results. Three of her people had been turned into teenagers and she needed to know how it had happened, and if there was a way to reverse it.

"Oh, hello, Dr. Weir." Carson greeted Elizabeth as she walked into the room.

"You said you had something for me."

"The blood results, of course." Carson motioned for her to follow him. "This way." He led her to a table with various instruments on it. "I found some very strange things in the microscope analysis." He indicated for her to look in the eye-piece of a complex-looking microscope, which she did.

"There three different slides here," she said looking up at him. "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

The slide on the left is one I took of Major Sheppard three weeks ago. The one on the right is one I took this morning. And the one on the top is a cellular sample from the Wraith arm he brought back from Athosia."

"Why does the new sample look almost like the Wraith sample?"

"Because as far as I can tell they both show signs of regeneration."

"What do you mean?"

"As you already know, the Wraith have an incredible ability to regenerate damaged tissue. Well, Rodney, Teyla, and Maj. Sheppard all have complete cellular regeneration of 50 percent. Physically, they are half as many years old as they were before they were changed. Mentally, they're the same."

"How did this happen?"

"I really haven't a clue, yet. But I'm working on it."

* * *

A/N:  
For anyone who is confused, the first part of this chapter took place when the AG team first came to the planet. They're those four people who Keyto sees. And we'll be seeing more of Keyto and Marla, both play important parts in the chapters to come. Please review. 


	4. Chapter 4

Child's Play  
By mermaid2bseeker

* * *

A/N1:This story is going to take place before they killed their Wraith hostage. 

A/N2:Just so there's no confusion, John Sheppard, Teyla Emmagan, and Rodney McKay are all still children. I don't know why Dr. Weir would let them continue their duties in their altered conditions, but she did.

* * *

Chapter 4

_T4X-589, Saturday, dusk_

As stealthy as she could, Keyto walked past the houses of her village, ducking now and then to avoid the windows. She walked his way until she reached the forest line. Once hidden by the trees, she lost all sneaky-ness. She ran through them until she found her favorite, which she proceeded to climb.

At first it was hard work, the lack of foot-branches causing her to have to 'shimmy' up the trunk. When she finally found suitable branches, many of which thicker than her arm, she ascended the tree quicker.

Keyto stopped climbing when she could see over the other tree tops all the way to the Great Water. She swung her leg over the branch and straddled it.

_Back at the gate_

A puddle jumper was parked in front of the now inactive Stargate. Its rear hatch opened and a large group of people walked out. John, Teyla, Rodney, Carson, Aiden and three scientists all made their way to their temple.

"That's a big time difference," commented Dr. Zelenka in a Czech accent as he helped to carry one of two crates the scientists had brought with them.

"Told you," replied Rodney.

Keyto heard the Stone Gateway deactivate, and, while still on the tree, twisted around to see who or what it was. Unfortunately, the light showing from the sun was very little, and all she could see were non-descript figures walking towards the Great Temple. _Oh no, it's too soon_ she thought as she watched them. Her village had to be warned before it was too late. Quickly she swung her leg back over the branch she was sitting on and found a suitable foothold. Not paying as much attention to her descent as to what could happen to her village, about halfway down the tree she lost her footing. She let out a small cry of surprise as her foot slipped and she began to fall.

Everyone stopped moving when they heard the scream, followed by a thud.

"What was that?" Carson asked, startled.

"It sounded like someone falling," answered Rodney. His thoughts wandered to the young girl he had seen watching them when they first approached the temple.

"Teyla," John called. She turned to look at him. "You, Ford and the scientists continue on to the temple-thing. Doctor," Carson looked at him, "you, me and McKay will find out what that noise was."

The group split up, John, Carson, and Rodney heading to the treeline, the rest continued on to the temple.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Rodney said as he walked through the trees with the others. "I mean it could be anything that made that noise."

"Well, unless it's a bigfoot, I doubt 'anything' would have a human voice," John said as he walked ahead of them, using the flashlight on his P-90 to illuminate the path in front of them.

"How exactly will we find whatever it is we're looking for in a forest, at dawn?" Carson asked a little while later.

"Well, I am using this." John held up the Ancient's 'life-sign detector.' On its screen were three dots clustered close together, with another dot not far away from them. John motioned to Carson and Rodney to keep moving.

A few minutes later they found a teenage girl lying, face down, in a crumpled heap on the ground. Her left leg was clearly broken below the knee, and she wasn't moving.

Carson walked forward and bent down in front of the girl. He checked her vitals.

"Well?" Rodney asked impatiently as John scouted the area.

"She's still alive, if that's what you wanted to know," Carson answered. "Help me flip her over."

"Wow," Rodney said softly when he saw her face as he was turning her face-up. _She's beautiful_, he thought to himself.

"Did you say something?"

"What?" Rodney looked to Carson. "No," he said quickly.

Carson turned to John. "There's some medical supplies in the jumper that I can use to treat her."

"Right." John used his radio to tell the other group what the situation was.

_Back at the jumper_

"Watch out for any natives," John told a soldier named Stackhouse, who was outside, standing watch over the puddle jumper.

When the back hatch opened, Carson carried the girl into the back compartment and laid her across some of the seats. He reached into the overhead compartment and got the first-aid kit, which he opened on the seats across from him. He used some of the materials in the jumper to create a splint for Keyto's leg

"We should find her parents," John said as Carson continued treating the girl. "They're probably worried sick."

"We don't even know who they are," Rodney said. "Or where they are, for that matter."

The girl's eyes began to move under their lides. She mumbled something in a foreign language.

"What was she saying?" John asked.

Carson shrugged.

"It sounded familiar," Rodney said.

A tiny vibrating noise began coming from the major's pant pocket. He reached in and pulled out the L.S.D. It continued to vibrate in his hands. He smacked it against his palm a couple of times to stop it, which, surprisingly worked.

"Oh, cool," John said as he looked at it's screen. It was displaying everything the girl had said with an English translation below it. "It also translates. 'You cannot take me. I am the leader's daughter. I am protected from the culling,'" he read off the screen.

"She thinks we're Wraith?" Carson asked in disbelief.

"How can she be protected?" asked Rodney as he glanced at the girl. "I thought the Wraith were 'equal-opportunity' killers."

_A couple of hours later_

When the girl regained consciousness, only John and Carson were with her, Rodney had reluctantly gone to the temple to help out with the scientific analysis.

"Oh, come on," John leaned back in the pilot's chair. "It wouldn't be that hard to create a football field," he said to Carson.

"It's not that it would be hard to create," Carson said, "It's the other things."

"We already have a football, and it's not like we don't have the space."

"No, no." Carson rolled his eyes. "We have limited supplies, and I don't think we could afford to waste medical supplies treating football-related injuries."

"We could always be careful."

While the two of them were having their conversation, Keyto had woken up. She took the opportunity, while they weren't watching her to look around the ship. It wasn't until she spoke that they noticed her.

"…Anquietas." Both John and Carson looked up when they heard her speak.

"Now I recognized that word," Carson said.

"She's speaking ancient," John looked mildly surprised.

"How? Why?" After a second, Carson added, "You don't suppose she thinks we're Ancients?"

John just shrugged. "First we're Wraith," he answered, "now we're Ancients. Why not?"

"What did she say?"

"Oh, um…" John looked at the screen of the L.S.D. "She said, 'The spaceship of the Ancients'. Um…how do I…" he looked the device over. "Oh," he said when he looked back to the display.

"What is it?" Carson looked at him in concern.

"Oh, I was just thinking of how to ask her for her name, and here," he indicated the display, "it is." He checked the screen one more time, then looked at Keyto. "Uh.. 'Tao celari?'"

Keyto looked up at him, "Keyto." She narrowed her eyes and looked at him and Carson. "Vou ni ani Anquietas?"

John looked to the L.S.D. "She asked if we weren't the Ancients." He checked the screen, again, "Ni. Nou ani relati Anquietas." Carson gave him a questioning look, so he explained, "I said we were related to the Ancients. We are, aren't we?"

"It's a stretch," was Carson's reply.

Keyto stared at him for a few seconds as if trying to make up her mind about something. "Atlantus?"

John nodded.

She bit her lip in thought, a few seconds later she spoke again. "Surely you were warned about this place."

Out of habit, John looked to the L.S.D. before realizing that what Keyto had said was English.

"You can speak English?" Carson asked her, incredulously.

"If that is what you call this language, than yes."

"So all my work was for nothing?" John held up the L.S.D.

"I had to make sure of something, first," she said sheepishly.

"Oh."

Keyto let in a sharp breath. "How long have I been here?"

"A few hours, why?"

"I wasn't supposed to go climbing, again," Keyto answered with a grimace. "My mum is going to _kill_ me."

* * *

A/N3: Well, the first time I posted this chapter it was just to get it out there, now that I've edited it I'm re-posting it. If you've noticed, now Keyto is speaking Ancient. Please review. More chapters to come, I promise. 


	5. Chapter 5

Child's Play  
By mermaid2bseeker

* * *

Chapter 5:

* * *

A/N:  
Little side note: I had originally posted a similar chapter five that was too short, then I continued to write a chapter six that was also too short. WhenI re-read them to plan for a chapter seven I realized I could combine the five and six and add more stuff to it. I'm happier with this version.

* * *

"I really don't think you should walk on that leg," Carson said as Keyto swung her feet onto the floor. He stood up and put his hands on her shoulders to prevent her from standing up. 

She looked him in the eyes. "What do you know of my race?"

"Uh…you're human."

"That is all you know. Now please step aside."

If only to prove his point, Carson stepped aside and let her stand up.

"See," Keyto said as she walked around the jumper's interior with nothing more than a limp.

"How are you doing that?" John asked from his seat.

"My muscles are contracting against the bone itself, holding it in place, so that I can walk on it."

"Oh."

"Now will it be alright to go to my village."

Carson had an exasperated look on his face. "I've got no reason left not to let you go."

"Okay, then," John said as he got to his feet and opened the back hatch of the ship.

----------

"This way." Keyto led them around the Great Temple and into the forest.

"Ahhhhh," John stumbled backwards as some sort of monkey in military garb swung down in front of his face.

"Oh sorry, didn't see you two," the creature said as he continued to hang upside-down.

"Obviously." John stood up and dusted himself off. "Jeez, McKay, what the hell are you doing up there."

"Well, I got kicked out of the temple thing, apparently for being too annoying…"

"No," John said in a mock-disbelief voice.

"Yeah, I know, can you believe it?" Rodney said missing the sarcasm, "anyways I decided to come over here and do upside-down crunches." He swung himself up and slid, feet-first, off the branch, landing on his feet in front of them.

"Come on, we're escorting Keyto here back to her village," John pointed to Keyto, who was leaning against the side of a tree.

"Oh, really."

"Monkey-McKay," John muttered under his breath loud enough for everyone to hear.

"What?"

John placed his arm over Rodney's shoulder. "Yeah, that's gonna be your nickname from now on."

---------

_Atlantis:_

Doctors Weir, Zelenka, and some other scientists; were all sitting in a large conference room. A laptop was open and showing a picture of the large round circle that was etched into the temple.

"What is it?" Elizabeth asked, looking at the screen.

"It's a sentence in Ancient," Dr. Zelenka answered. "It was inscribed in the far wall of the entrance hall, as well as in the floors of the other rooms."

"What does it say?" Elizabeth's curiosity was piqued by the discovery of Ancient writing.

"_Solus essencia paro corpi repdera assipturus navo vide_ (how to pronounce: 'Solus essengkia parro korpi repderra asipturrus navo vid')" Zelenka read off a clipboard the translation "'Only the pure of soul and broken of body shall receive a new life.'"

"So, this wasn't part of some kind of a trap?" asked Elizabeth.

"No." Zelenka shook his head. "The temple was designed to do this."

---------

"Here it is." She pointed to a large village near the shores of a massive sea.

"KEYTO!" a tall woman with close-cropped hair exited one of the houses and hurried over to meet them.

"Oh niy," Keyto mumbled under her breath as she braced herself for her mother's wrath.

"KEYTO!!!!!!! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I'VE BEEN. THE ENTIRE VILLAGE IS SEARCHING FOR YOU!!!!!" In her rage, Marla almost didn't see the others with her daughter. "DO YOU KNOW HOW DISASTEROUS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IF YOU NEVER CAME BACK!!!!!!!!!"

Marla stopped stopped in front of Keyto and hugged her tightly. "I thought I'd lost you," her eyes were bloodshot from crying so much. She looked at the three of them. "Thank you for bringing her back safely."

"Mother, those are two of the people that went into the Temple." Keyto pointed to John and Rodney.

"Oh, dear," Marla said to them. "I'm so sorry."

"Do you know what happened to us?" John asked.

"This is not the time nor place to speak of such things. Come." She indicated for them to follow her.

When Marla turned around, since her shirt tied around her neck, her back was exposed and they saw what looked like a paragraph of a foreign language tattooed onto her back.

"Ouch," John muttered as he followed her.

-----

_Space, T4X-584's solar system, same time_

The spaceship sped past one of the suns of a binary star system. "Prepare the transport ship," spoke the red-haired female wraith who sat in the center of the command deck. She smiled as she thought of the meal waiting for her on one of the planets.

Along one of the halls a door slid open and a lanky male wraith walked out. He turned at the end of the hall and walked along a dimly lit connecting-corridor until he reached a huge gym-like room at the end.

Inside were numerous warrior wraith training themselves. In one corner of the room was a boxing ring-type structure, currently occupied by two warriors fighting against each other. Along the longest wall, secluded from the rest of the room was a semi-virtual firing range. Warriors would place a head-piece over their eyes and practice shooting at fake victims. There was also a weight-training section where some of the weights exceeded a thousand pounds. The male wraith looked around at the warriors, sizing them up. When he made his decision he called for four warriors, pointing to them as he did so.

"You four with me. Transport ship." He walked out of the room. The four warriors that were called for each grabbed a fully charged weapon from the weapon's locker along the wall and hurried to follow.

---------

The inside of Keyto's home was simple: a living/eating room and two bedrooms. "Once again I must thnk you for finding Keyto."

"Oh, it was nothing really," Carson replied.

"She sorta fell in on us," John added.

"I regret what happened to you," Marla said wasting no time. "But you must realize that your situation is going to save three of my people."

"What do you mean?" Rodney asked.

Marla took a deep breath. "A long time ago the Wraith destroyed our village. Many lives were lost. My predecessor believed that a treaty was the only way to prevent it from happening again. So he met with the Wraith leader, and made a pact. In exchange for letting us be, every four years we have to give three of the healthiest villagers, as well as the secret of the Great Temple."

"What exactly are you saying?" John asked.

"This year I was to pick three of my people, take them to the Temple, and change them so the Wraith could take them. But now, you will be taken in their stead." Marla looked as if she were genuinely sorry.

"Excuse me!"

"The Temple changed you, marking you for the Wraith. Wherever you go, they will find you."

"There has to be a way to change them back." Carson said.

"I know of only one way. But it is too painful to speak of."

"What is too painful for us to consider?" Rodney asked.

Marla spoke softly as though not wanting her words to be heard. "A Wraith draining."

"No, no, no," John repeated quickly.

"You have got to be kidding me," Carson said in semi-disbelief.

"I am not."

-----

_An hour later at Atlantis Base:_

"Incoming wormhole!" someone said over the intercom.

The symbols on the gate lit up one after another clock-wise along the inner track. The chevrons lit up as the impermeable shield activated, blocking the event horizon as it whooshed out.

Dr. Weir came out of her 'office' and walked onto the command center. The sounds of radio static came through the speakers.

"Major?" Elizabeth asked.

"_Yes_," John's voice replied. "_We met with the leader of the nearby village and she was able to tell us the temple's function, as well as how to undo the transformation."_

"How?"

-----

_T4X-584:_

"Yeow." The major, along with everyone that had an Atlantis radio pack winced as Elizabeth's loud, exclaimatory reply reverberated through their earpieces.

"_I must have misheard you. I could have sworn you said 'a wraith draining.'"_

"You heard me correctly."

There was the sound of a muffled thud coming from the other end, as though someone had hit their fist against a table. "_Why would the Ancients create something that could only be undone by the wraith?"_

"They might not have, a wraith is the only way the leader knows of. There might be another method."

"_I'm sending back Zelenka's team to investigate further."_

"Copy that." After a few seconds of silence the gate deactivated.

-----

John and Rodney were sitting outside the temple when a Wraith needle ship entered the atmosphere in a fiery streak. "Uh, major," Rodney said nervously.

"What?" John looked at Rodney.

"Is that what I think it is?" he replied pointing up at the sky.

John looked at the sky, and said, "Oh, crap."

"Everyone at the gate, now," he added through his radio.

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A/N:  
Dum, Dum, Dum. Too suspenseful?Please review. More chapters to come. I promise. 


	6. Chapter 6

Child's Play

By mermaid2bseeker

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Chapter 6

_The Village_:

"The Wraith are here!" a male villager yelled to Marta. He pointed to two spaceships that looked much like giant silver darts descending from the sky. For a second, she stared at the ships, her mind filled with conflicting thoughts. She was concerned for her people, but also for the strangers. Part of her wanted the strangers to be taken, and at the same time she hated herself for thinking that. Of course, they did want to return to their adult forms, and a wraith was the only way to do that. But, that wasn't an excuse to do nothing.

"To the shelters!" Marta yelled out of her door. Even as she said this most of the villagers were already running into the nearest house to hide, Marta and Keyto ran into towards the center of the eating room, and lifted the table which revealed a secret opening into a hidden room.

"Stay down here," Marta pushed Keyto into the room.

"Mother, no!" Keyto shouted as Marta closed the door, shutting her in.

"Stay there and don't come out!" Marta left her house and ran to help the villagers. Though the ships purposely overshot the village, the people continued to hide.

"Major," John Sheppard's radio crackled with someone's voice.

"What is it?" he hissed into his headset. John was trying not to make too much noise. His team members were hiding in the trees surrounding the temple. They were watching as two wraith darts began hovering over the temple. From one of the ships came a bright light that swept across the ground beneath it. Two wraith soldiers and an 'alpha' wraith walked out of the beam and headed into the temple.

"The gate just activated sir," the reply came, "but nothing is coming through."

"Crap," John rolled his eyes; of course the wraith would know that trick. "Okay. Keep the ship cloaked, and as soon as you get the chance, dial Atlantis, but have them keep the shield up until we're ready to go through…" His orders were cut off by someone else using the radio set.

"Uh, I hate to be a rain cloud," came Rodney's condescending I-know-something-you-don't-voice. "But we can't do that."

"Why not?" John asked, annoyed.

"Because, let's just say a Wraith walks by the DHD while the wormhole is dialed to Atlantis, all he has to do is memorize the symbols and he'll know our location."

"Even if he did, we have a shield."

"Yes, yes, yes. That'll only stop them from coming in through the gate. They could use the star coordinates to locate the planet in space, and fly there."

The enormity of that statement hit John hard. "Crap. Fine. Keep the ship cloaked and wait for further instructions."

"Yes, sir."

After a few minutes the Wraith slowly walked out of the temple, looking very annoyed. They stood at the entrance and paused while the alpha male sniffed the air. Without knowing it, John began breathing very softly. The alpha male—_I'll call him Larry_ thought John—then took a long look at the surrounding trees. He said something to the other Wraith and they were swept back up by the beam. He let out a sigh as the ships flew back towards the village.

When the Wraith ships started circling the village, that's when the villagers started to panic. "Why are they coming back?" one of them asked.

Marla closed her eyes in regret, she hadn't told her people about the visitors and now they were going to be punished. Why did she have to be so compassionate? Wraiths don't understand compassion. Three people were a small price to pay for her village's safety. She took a quick view of the houses to see if there were any stragglers, everyone was hidden, so she ran back to her own house.

As she was running, she had to dodge the Wraith beams, since she was the only villager outside; one of the ships was focused on catching her. She was just a few feet from her house when she was swept up in the beam. The wraith then began shooting at random houses. Then as the villagers ran from their burning homes, they too were swept up.

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A/N:

I know it's been a long time since I updated this story, about a year. But things have happened that I couldn't control.

Long Awaited Please Review.


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